His heart sank. He wasn't afraid of death, and he knew that if he died the oceans would roll again and his friends would move about. But he wanted to see them safe.
He tried to clear his mind for supreme effort. There was no urging time to start. He knew he couldn't persuade it by bits and pieces, first slowly then full ahead. Time either progressed or it didn't. He had to take one viewpoint or the other.
Then, without knowing exactly when it happened, his mind took command....
His friends came to life. The first one he saw stir lay on his stomach and pounded his fists on the beach. A flood of relief settled over Purnie as sounds came from the animal.
"What's the matter with me? Somebody tell me! Am I nuts? Miles! Schick! What's happening?"
"I'm coming, Rhodes! Heaven help us, man—I saw it, too. We're either crazy or those damn logs are alive!"
"It's not the logs. How about us? How'd we get out of the water? Miles, we're both cracking."
"I'm telling you, man, it's the logs, or rocks or whatever they are. I was looking right at them. First they're on top of me, then they're piled up over there!"
"Damnit, the logs didn't pick us up out of the ocean, did they? Captain Benson!"